Are you waiting to get your hands on an OUYA Android gaming console? If you’re like me, you may have already donated or backed the OUYA project through Kickstarter and are anticipating it’s arrival in March of 2013.

It’s currently Feb 2013 and we’re a month away from receiving the console by mail. If you’re still skeptical about the console, or are looking for more information regarding the console, I decided to put together a ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUYA post.

OUYA is a new kind of game console for the TV that upends the console market: by bringing the
openness of mobile and Internet platforms to console games for the first time.

• A game console that plugs into your TV, and includes a beautifully-designed game controller
• Built on Android, with a custom user interface and game store
• Open to any developer to publish a game – unlike any of the current game consoles
• Powerful enough to play great games in HD – with a Tegra3 chipset
• Designed by Yves Behar and fuseproject – made Jambox, SAYL chair, other award-winners

For gamers – a powerful but inexpensive alternative to traditional consoles, with great games:
• Inexpensive – priced under $100
• All games are free-to-play (with in-game items, paid version after free trial, etc.)
• Well-designed controller – standard controller with a touchpad
• Will play great games – from AAA to indie – including hardcore and more mainstream titles
• Can support other Android apps – will launch with TwitchTV (live-streaming for games, watch
games like StarCraft and League of Legends on your TV)

For developers – this is your console:
• Supported by respected developers: Notch (Mojang), Brian Fargo (inXile), Adam
Saltsman (Canabalt), Ed Fries (original Xbox team), and others
• Any developer can publish a game – every console includes an SDK, no extra fees
• Custom OUYA SDK will be built on standard Android platform, with links into OUYA
game promotion and in-game purchase API
• Developer chooses pricing, as long as initial download is free (standard 30% to OUYA)

For hackers – built to be hacked:
• Rooting the device will not void your warranty; easy to root; every unit has a debug console
• For hardware hackers, opens with standard screws; USB port for making peripherals;
PCB designed to hack (clearly documented test points)

Kickstarter campaign:
• Launches July 10
• Asking for money to complete the product development (both the hardware and
software platform), do the initial production runs, and support initial game development
• Goal is $950,000 — OUYA only gets funds if campaign hits this goal

OUYA the company:
• Founded by Julie Uhrman, who started in the video game industry 10 years ago (GameFly,
IGN, Vivendi Universal)
• Raised money from individuals, no venture capital – investors include Jay Adelson, founder of
Digg; Joe Greenstein, founder of Flixster; Hosain Rahman, founder of Jawbone; Eric
Hautemont, publisher of Ticket to Ride and other award-winning board games

Life Cycle of OUYA
• “There will be a new OUYA every year. There will be an OUYA 2 and an OUYA 3,” Uhrman told Engadget in an interview. That’s a pretty bold declaration of intent from a company that, while immensely successful in their Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, has yet to actually ship production-ready OUYA 1 devices out to the general public, though they have already secured retail partners. (This is why I have named this post, OUYA version 1).

Major Franchise Support

OUYA partnered with Square Enix to deliver one of the most beloved franchises in gaming –Final Fantasy—to OUYA. The partnership kicked off with Final Fantasy III for launch, remastered
to take advantage of HD graphics. Importantly, this effort will mark the first time outside of
Japan that gamers can play FFIII on a console. On the last day of the Kickstarter campaign,
OUYA also confirmed that they were speaking with NAMCO BANDAI GAMES (PAC-MAN,
GALAGA TEKKEN and Ridge Racer) about bringing their games to OUYA.